10 Ways You’re Arranging Your Furniture All Wrong

Rachel Brougham

Arranging your furniture can be a tricky task. Both large and small rooms, along with awkward-shaped spaces, can make placing furniture in the right spot difficult. Here are 10 things to avoid when arranging your furniture.

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Photo: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Don’t Be a Wallflower

Give your furniture a bit of breathing room and never push it all the way up against the walls. Even leaving a few inches of space can make the room feel bigger. According to The Budget Decorator blog, try placing pieces on the diagonal. “Placing pieces on the diagonal carries your eye smoothly through the room, so not only does it look larger, it looks more interesting.”

Lack of Conversation Areas

When setting up furniture, don’t forget about conversation areas. Never position chairs and couches so they are facing away from each other. Decorating Den Interiors, a design company, notes, “The last thing you want to do is shout across the room when trying to have a conversation, so arrange your seated furniture in a way that inspires opportunity for close, intimate chat.”

Not Having a Focal Point

It doesn’t matter if it’s the bedroom or the living room, each room should have a focal point. Perhaps it’s the television, an over-sized piece of artwork or the fireplace. “You don’t want to ignore the fireplace or something else that would architecturally be a natural main element in the room,” said Los Angeles–based celebrity designer Nicole Sassaman in Women’s Day.

Too Many Pieces

Yes, you can have too much furniture. In small spaces, such as bedrooms, start with what you must have and add more from there. Using fewer pieces will make the room feel more spacious. Instead of a wide dresser, try a taller dresser which will give you the same amount of storage but will take up less room.

There’s No Balance

“Another common mistake that most people tend to commit is putting all the furniture in one particular side or corner,” according to the Austin Furniture Repair blog. When it comes to arranging furniture, don’t put all the big pieces on one side and small pieces on the other. Spread it out a bit.

The Wrong Rug

Make sure the rug is the right size for the room. Exposing some of the flooring around the rug’s edges is fine, but make sure some of the furniture can rest on the rug itself. “Rugs typically look better when all the furniture is on them,” Sassaman told Women’s Day.

No Room for Traffic

“Don’t let your family members pass through a maze just to go from one room to the other,” noted the Austin Furniture Repairblog. Always consider traffic flow when arranging your furniture. People should be able to walk through the space without tripping over furniture or other people in the room. There should be a couple of feet between chairs, tables and couches when you’re arranging your furniture.

You Ignore Practicality

If you enjoy putting your feet up or eating while watching television, make sure you place your furniture in a way that allows you to do so. If you host game-watching parties, make sure people have a spot to put their drinks and plates.

Windows are Blocked

Natural light is important so be sure not to block windows with large pieces of furniture when arranging your furniture. “Blocking the windows in a room with furniture severely limits the amount of light, which makes a room look small and cramped,” according to The Budget Decorator.

Your Coffee Table is Too Small

When it comes to coffee tables, go big! Coffee tables not only serve as part of the design, but they are functional. “Go as big as you can,” Angelo Surmelis, a celebrity designer told Women’s Day. “If you can’t go too big because you have a narrow living room, then go skinny but long.”